Pekama Kaa
Born 7 Nov 1894 - Died 14 Aug 1917
- Service number
- WWI 16/620 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- NZ Maori Pioneer BattalionPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military record
- Last rank
- WW1 Captain/Military AWMM New Zealand Pioneer Battalion AWMM
- War
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Pekama AWMM
- Surname
- Kaa AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 16/620 AWMM
- Gender
- —
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM
- Ngāti Porou, Ngā Iwi o Horouta, Horouta, Waka o Ngā Iwi, Ngā Iwi, Māori AWMM
- Religion
- Church of England, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 7 Nov 1894 Military Personnel File
- Date of birth
- 7 Nov 1894Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military Record
- Place of birth
- Waiapu, East Coast, NZPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military Record
- Birth notes
- Son of Panikena and Matewa Kaa, of RangitukiaPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military Record
- Address before enlistment
- WW1 Pre 12 Jun 1915 AWMM Tuparoa, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- WW1 Panikena Kaa (father), Rangitukia, via Gisborne, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 18 Sep 1915 AWMM Single/WWI AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- Campaign
- 1917 AWMM Passchendaele AWMM
- Egyptian E F & Western EuropeanPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military record
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- NZ Maori Pioneer BattalionPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military record
- Service number
- WWI 16/620 AWMM
- Military service
- 1915-1917Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military record
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- 1914-1915 Star
British War & Victory Medals
Plaque & Scroll # 506869Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 10 February 2016 - Military Record
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 12 Jun 1915 AWMM
- 14 Nov 1914 at Avondale
9 June 1915 at Te AraroaPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military record
- Age on enlistment
- 20yrs & 21yrsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military record
- Occupation before enlistment
- Sheep WorkPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Military Record
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 18 Sep 1915-26 Oct 1915 AWMM
HMNZT 29 AWMM Vessel was Waitemata AWMM Second Lieutenant AWMM 2nd Maori Contingent AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Captain/Military AWMM
New Zealand Pioneer Battalion AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of Panikena and Matewa Kaa, of Rangitukia, Waiapu.
Gained Second Lieutenant's commission on 1 September 1915 (Studholme 1928).
Promoted to Captain on 7 August 1917 (Studholme 1928).
Next of Kin: Mr P. Kaa, Rangitukia, Gisborne (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 1)) AWMM - Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14452, 12 November 1917, Page 7
IN A TIGHT CORNER.
HOW LIEUT. KAIPARA. AND HIS COMRADES FELL.
Corporal Walter Heany, of the N.Z. Pioneers, writing to his mother, Mrs. Donald Gordon, of Gisborne, gives the first details that have been received respecting the death of Lieut A.P Kaipara and a number of other East Coast members of the Pioneers. The writer explains that the battalion went out wiring a stronghold that the New Zealanders had taken from the Germans. Fritz had made things very warm for them since, Corporal Heany remarks. The Pioneers got to within 100 yards of where they had to erect the entanglements, when Fritz opened up on them. The boys halted for it awhile, and then moved through shell fire to their sector. Shells were thrown all around them, and machine gun fire was turned on, this being about 1.3O a.m. The writer, details the circumstances under which Bill Morris, of Gisborne (wounded), was carried out to, the dressing station. On the way back they were up to their waists in mud, and Fritz concentrated fire on them, thus delaying them a good deal. The shells were bashing in the trenches and ploughing through the mud in the shell fire was a trying experience. Patience, however, got them through safely, though they were all fairly exhausted. Lieut. Kaipara rushed along and requested them 'to go back for Ehau, another Gisbornite who was wounded in the leg. As there was no one else he and his mate went back again with Kaipara. They were fairly beaten, and shells were falling worse than ever. Kaipara kept urging them to hurry, but they were so done up they could hardly for dear life lift their legs out of the boggy ground. Frequently they had to put the stretcher down, and then shells would burst near them, the concussion knocking them over in the mud. Eventually his mate dragged himself back to get fresh men, and he could hear Ehau calling "Come on, Heany" but he was completely knocked up. It was then that Kaipara dropped, shot through the head by a piece of shell. The writer went on to say that he had simply to lie down in the mud with the pathetic words still ringing in his ears and cursing himself for being unable to carry on. Subsequently he managed to drag himself out and to get fresh men to carry the wounded out. Two nights later they went out again to dig a trench and about midnight Fritz poured shells into them again. One shell came into the trench and killed Viv Ruru and another chap who had just joined up, besides wounding Trotter and Maharangi Pohatu. Heany was placed in charge to carry Trotter down to the dressing station, where he learned than Kaa, the Ngati Porou officer was killed, also Winiana and Dick Hale (corporal of the section). The party was carrying out one of the fellows (killed), when a shell landed right in the middle of them. With an officer, the writer went back and found their bodies, which were brought in and laid to rest. All were Gisborne and Coast boys. Donald Cameron was killed the same night as Kaipara. The casualties during the two nights were Killed, Lieutenants P Kaa, Kaipara, Cameron, and MacNeil, Corporal Hale, Privates V. Ruru, A. Kopua, Winiana. wounded: -Lieutenant J Ehau, Privates R. Trotter. W. Morris, Manuel, M. Pohatu, and P KingiPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 20 July 2015 - Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14452, 12 November 1917, Page 7
- Son of Panikena and Matewa Kaa, of Rangitukia, Waiapu.
About death
- Death
- 14 Aug 1917 AWMM
Age 23 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- Pekama Kaa was wounded during the Battle of La Basse-Ville (Warneton, belgium) and died soon after.Public - Dominique GJM - Researcher - 17 November 2025 - Dominique GJM Cooreman, La Basse-ville 1917: New Zealand Voices from Flanders Fields, 2016 Chapter 15: Maori Warriors, p 301
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Died of wounds contracted during actionPublic - Dominique GJM - Researcher - 17 November 2025 - Military Personnel File
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- II.G.10., Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- Lieutenant Pekama Rongoaia Kaa, who recently died of wounds in France, was a descendant of a notable line of Maori warriors of the Ngati Porou tribe. He was educated at the Rangitukia school, where he won the Makanui scholarship. Two years later he entered the Department of Agriculture. He enlisted in the first Maori Contingent, and was given a commission in the Second Contingent. Lieutenant Kaa was fatally wounded while directing the movements of the Ngati Porou platoons. (Auckland Weekly News, 20 September 1917, p. 19)
By the death in action on August 14th of Lieut. P. Kaa, the Maoris have lost not only a splendid officer, but a true friend, and there are many sad hearts among them, especially in the Ngatiporou, his own tribe. From childhood he has been a straightforward, honourable character, and as an officer his men have ever been his first consideration. Educated, in the first place, at Rangitukia Native School, he passed on to Te Aute College, and at the close of his two years' course there, he passed the Junior Civil Service examination. The story of his death, as told me by one of his men who is now in hospital, is as follows:- He and several of his men were caught by shell fire while in a very awkward sector of trench. Some were killed outright, and Lieut. Kaa and several others were wounded. He resolutely refused to allow the stretcher-bearers to lift him until his wounded men were carried to safety. Before he could be rescued, another shell burst, and he was killed on the spot. To our limited vision, it seems as if an officer like this can ill be spared; but the example of his life lived, and finally given for others, will always be of inestimable value to those who knew him. 'Heoi, e oku teina, kia whai kaha koutou i roto i té Ariki.' – S. M. L. (Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., 5 September 1917, p. 27) AWMM - Memorial name
- An image of Henare Mokena Kohere & Pekama Kaa in Tikitiki St Mary's Church's stained glass windowsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - http://www.militarian.com/threads/captain-pekama-rongoaia-kaa-of-the-new-zealand-maori-pioneer-bn.8217/
- Tikitiki Church War Memorial
Gisborne's War MemorialPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 8 January 2016 - Research
- An image of Henare Mokena Kohere & Pekama Kaa in Tikitiki St Mary's Church's stained glass windows
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R18055185
Further Reference - Army General Staff file - Territorial Force
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22203618
Further Reference - John Keir, 'The final resting place: Home or abroad?', Newsroom, 24 April 2018
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/04/23/106091/the-final-resting-place-home-or-abroad#
Further Reference - 'Tikitiki church war memorial ', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/tikitiki-church-war-memorial, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 29-Oct-2014
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/tikitiki-church-war-memorial
Further Reference - New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-130644.html
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/443925/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/443925
Further Reference - Passchendaele Museum Profile
https://archives.passchendaele.be/en/soldier/3032
Further Reference - Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Maori Regimental Committee by Whitcombe & Tombs.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20201108000000/https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-CowMaor.html
Further Reference - New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- Macdonald, L. (1978). Passchendaele : the story of the third Battle of Ypres 1917. London : Penguin Books.
- Harper, G. (2000). Massacre at Passchendaele : the New Zealand story. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 381 - Studholme, J. (1928). New Zealand Expeditionary Force record of personal services during the war of officers, nurses, and first-class warrant officers, and other facts relating to the N.Z.E.F. : unofficial but based on official records. Wellington, N.Z.: Government Printer.
p. 173. - Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Maori Regimental Committee by Whitcombe & Tombs.
Cowan, J. (1926). pp. 68, 71, 84, 85, 90, 93, 121. - Auckland Weekly News
Obituary: 20 September 1917, p. 19. - Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F.: Records of Matters Concerning the Troops and Gazette of Patriotic Effort [London, England] : New Zealand War Contingent Association, [1916-1919]
Obituary: 5 September 1917, p. 27. - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 3: Includes portrait - Soutar, M. (2019). Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!: Maori In the First World War. New Zealand: David Bateman Ltd.
- Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
- Pugsley, C. (1995). Te Hokowhitu a Tu : the Maori Pioneer Battalion in the first World War. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed.
The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.
Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.